theislanderonline.com
Published by
Permar Publications
ssislander@bellsouth.net
October 28, 2024
Established in 1972
Vol 52 Issue 44
Epworth's Treasure
The ‘O Holy Night’ display at the Epworth
Museum on St. Simons Island, created
by Susan Water of Rockmart, Ga.,
features shepherds (above) tending
their flocks and gazing upward at the
suspended angels (left).
Islander Staff Photos - Shierling
Life-size Nativity housed at Epworth Museum
By Pamela Permar-Shierling
No decisions on
Zoning Ord
By Matthew J. Permar
Only seven of the 14 Glynn
County planning commission
ers attended last week’s joint
meeting (Wednesday, Oct. 23)
to discuss the re-writing of the
county Zoning Ordinance.
Since the seven did not
constitute a quorum, they
could not vote to approve the
minutes of their last meeting,
which was a public comment
session on September 18.
At the start of last week’s
meeting, Planning Manager
Stefanie Leif told the plan
ners the version they would
be discussing was the August
8 version.
She said Community De
velopment Department staff
had not had time to update
the document with the public
comments or changes suggest
ed by the planners due to the
two hurricanes, so there was
no new draft since the August
8 version.
Glynn County Board of
Commissioner (BOC) chair
man Wayne Neal (Dist. 3) act
ed as the meeting’s facilitator
along with Assistant County
Manager John Gentry.
Neal explained his ground
rules for the meeting saying
he wanted to review the Sub
division Regulations first, but
wanted to spend the majority
of the meeting on the Zoning
Ordinance.
Neal said, “The goal (of the
meeting) is to achieve a con
sensus approval of the pro
posed draft changes and bring
forth a willingness to find a
resolution.”
He said they needed to
identify elements that present
a major conflict from reaching
the consensus versus dealing
with minor details.
“If you have a specific issue
that will take too much time
today,” he said, “then we will
put it on a sticky note and put
it on the easel board and de
velop a process to review it.”
Turn to Page 6
Zoning ordinance
Epworth by the Sea in and
of itself is a treasure. However,
housed in Epworth’s Arthur J.
Moore Methodist Museum is
another treasure.
When you walk through the
museum’s front door, you walk
into a life-size nativity scene
created by artist Susan Waters
of Rockmart, Georgia. The fig
ures were originally created for
a Christmas parade and are
now permanently housed in the
Moore Musemn.
The five groupings, O Holy
Night, include shepherds and
their flock, the three wise men
on camels, Mary and Joseph as
they travel, angels above Mary
and Joseph, and the manger
scene.
The shepherds are looking
up at the angels and the wise
men are focused on the star
above the manger.
Assistant curator and ar
chivist Preslie Baer walked
me through the exhibit. She
pointed out all the little details
you might not see at first look.
There are a couple other details
to find sort of like a scavenger
hunt, Preslie said.
Interestingly the only bit of
color is on the three hens in
cluded in the manger scene.
The papier mache figures
were created in the early 2000’s
for a Christmas parade. Preslie
explained that Waters sketched
the figures first then created
the armature, added the papier
mache and painted the figures
in very muted colors.
Waters began the nativ
ity with Mary, Joseph, and the
Baby Jesus. Over six years,
she expanded her nativity to
include shepherds, wise men,
camels and angels. She has
since created another nativity
family for her church.
To visit the display musemn
horns are Monday - Friday, 10
a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10
a.m. -1 p.m.; closed on Sundays
and major holidays.
Spence discusses
redistricting with
St. Simons, SoGlo
parents
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Glynn County School Su
perintendent Dr. Scott Spen
ce explained the school sys
tem’s redistricting process
and answered questions last
Wednesday (Oct. 23) dur
ing a meeting held by the St.
Simons Elementary (SSE)
School Council.
The first thing to know
about the redistricting of
Glynn County’s elementary
schools is that the plan is not
done. It’s a work in progress.
The second thing to know is
that Dr. Spence’s door is open
to anyone who wants to offer
their ideas, suggestions on re
districting. His email is scott.
spence@glynn.kl2.ga.us.
Turn to Page 10
Redistricting
Behavioral Health
Summit looks at
service gaps
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Brunswick and Glynn
County residents are well
aware of the city and county’s
growing homeless problem.
Back in 2022 Nora Lott
Haynes ran for the District 3
Senate Seat which was won by
Sen. Mike Hodges.
Haynes ran on a very pas
sionate, compassionate men
tal health platform and even
though she lost the seat, she
has managed to get some
changes made to Georgia’s
mental health laws. Hodges
and Rep. Rick Townsend (R-
179) have aligned themselves
with her and championed her
cause.
On Friday, November 8
from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Turn to Page 4
Health Summit
Surfin’
the
News
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
Page 10 - Pew News
Page 11-20 Non profits receive grants
Page 12 - Back Talk
Page 2 - Reynolds Cottages breaks ground
Page 3 - SW Glynn rezone on hold
Page 4 - First Tuesday Gallery Showcase
